Hedingham Castle, Essex

How about this for a stunning venue with a difference for a wedding or Bar/Bat Mitvah? Hedingham Castle, a 900 year old Norman keep, is just an hour from London deep in the Essex countryside.

Ceremonies are held within the candlelit Banqueting Hall beneath a Norman arch and can accommodate 100 guests, with thirty more looking down from the Minstrels’ Gallery.

After the ceremony the guests are lead over the Tudor Bridge to the Mansion House, where drinks can be served in the Great Hall overlooking the formal gardens and the ornamental lake.

In the summer guests will enjoy the cooling fountain on the lawn, in winter a huge log fire complements the stately atmosphere of the English Country House.

From the Hall guests progress into the Tulip Lawn Marquee, outside which the magnificent Tulip Tree, one of only three in England, creates the perfect backdrop to any decorative theme. The immaculately furnished Marquee, with concealed dance floor and bar, can seat 160 guests with ease, and provides the perfect setting for the wedding breakfast or reception.